Dolina's Decision

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

The third instalment of the Dolina saga finds a more introspective, but
no less feisty, Dolina working on the Cameron farm the summer after
graduation.

Her plan to pursue “farm hunk Spencer” suffers a major setback,
however, when she discovers that he promised his mother he’d behave
while Dolina resided there. In frustration, Dolina resolves “to do
something dramatic and drastic” to address the problem. In addition to
the Spencer dilemma, Dolina finally meets her natural father, only to
have him fail to acknowledge her.

Dolina considers her situation (including Spencer’s criticisms),
contemplates “the pain and frustration of change,” and concludes,
“I am me. And nobody will take that away. I won’t let them. Let
Spencer lecture me. Let my father ignore me. Yes, it’ll hurt. Big
time. But I’ve been hurt before. I’ll survive.” Emboldened by the
arrival of Granny, her mother, and three friends, she executes her
resolve at the Crossings’ Centennial celebrations, with unexpected and
disquieting results.

Moore’s ability to detail vividly even the most mundane of daily
events, and her deft handling of dialogue and characterization, merge
effectively into a cohesive whole. The author excels at capturing the
mercurial teenage temperament and showcasing streetwise, big-city Dolina
working on the Cameron farm and interacting with people in a small rural
community. Dolina’s refusal to be marginalized and undervalued propels
her headlong into conflicts and earns her both approval and censure from
others. Readers can likely expect another sequel chronicling the
exploits of this well-developed and appealing heroine. Highly
recommended.